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The U.K. governing is tug fore with plans to attract more AI companies to the neighborhood by changing copyright law . The proposed changes would grant developer to train AI models on artists ’ substance establish online — without permission or payment — unless creators proactively “ choose out . ” Not everyone is marching to the same beat , though .
On Monday , a group of 1,000 musician let go of a “ silent record album , ” protestingthe plan change . The album — entitle “ Is This What We require ? ” — feature tracks from Kate Bush , Imogen Heap , and contemporary authoritative composer Max Richter and Thomas Hewitt Jones , among others . It also feature co - writing deferred payment fromhundreds more , including big names like Annie Lennox , Damon Albarn , Billy Ocean , The Clash , Mystery Jets , Yusuf / Cat Stevens , Riz Ahmed , Tori Amos , and Hans Zimmer .
But this is not Band Aid part 2 . And it ’s not a collection of euphony . Instead , the artists have put together recording of empty studio and performance space — a symbolic representation of what they trust will be the impact of the planned right of first publication jurisprudence change .
“ you’re able to hear my cats move around , ” is how Hewitt Jones described his contribution to the album . “ I have two cats in my studio who bother me all mean solar day when I ’m working . ”
To put an even more blunt degree on it , the titles of the 12 tracks that make up the record album import out a substance : “ The British government must not legitimatize music theft to benefit AI companies . ” you’re able to mind for yourselfhere .
The album is just the latest move in the U.K. to bring care to the issue of how copyright is being handled in AI preparation . interchangeable protestsareunderwayin other markets , like the U.S. , highlight a spheric business organization among artists .
Ed Newton - Rex , who direct the project , has at the same time been lead a bigger campaign against AI training without licensing . Apetitionhe start has now been sign by more than 47,000 author , optic artists , histrion , and others in the creative industry , with nearly 10,000 of them signing up in just the last five workweek since the U.K. governmentannounced its big AI strategy .
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Newton - Rex say he has also been “ running a nonprofit organization in AI for the last class where we ’ve been certifying companies that basically do n’t scrape and train on great study without permission . ”
Newton - Rex arrived at advocating for artist after having batted for both sides . Classically trained as a composer , he subsequently built an AI - base euphony composing platform called Jukedeck that let hoi polloi short-circuit using copyrighted works by make their own . Its catchy pitch , where he rap and riffed on the sexual morality of using AI to write euphony , win the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield contender in 2015 . Jukedeck was eventuallyacquired by TikTok , where he worked for some time on medicine service .
After several years at other tech company like Snap and Stability , Newton - Rex is back to debate how to ramp up the future without burning the past . He ’s mull that musical theme from a pretty interesting vantage gunpoint : He now live in the Bay Area with married woman Alice Newton - Rex , VP of product at WhatsApp .
The record album release comes just ahead of the be after changes to right of first publication law in the U.K , which would force artists who do not want their work used for AI education purposes toproactively “ prefer out . ”
Newton - Rex thinks this in effect make a lose - lose position for artists since there is no opt - out method acting in place , or any clear fashion of being able to track what specific material has been fed into any AI system .
“ We know that opt - out schemes are just not taken up , ” he said . “ This is just going to give 90 % [ to ] 95 % of the great unwashed ’s body of work to AI companies . That ’s without a doubt . ”
The solution , say the artists , is to produce body of work in other market where there might be in force protections for it . Hewitt Jones — who threw a working keyboard into a harbor in Kent at an in - person dissent not long ago ( he fish it out , broken , afterwards ) — said he ’s considering grocery like Switzerland for deal out his medicine in the future .
But the rock and hard shoes of a harbour in Kent are nothing compared to the Wild West of the net .
“ We ’ve been told for decades to share our work online because it ’s good for exposure . But now AI companies and , unbelievably , governments are turning around and suppose , ‘ Well , you put that online for free … ” Newton - Rex said . “ So now artists are just stopping making and sharing their oeuvre . A number of creative person have get through me to say this is what they ’re doing . ”
The album will be posted widely on music political program sometime Tuesday , the personal organizer tell , and any donations or proceeds from bet it will go to the charity Help Musicians .
